Something Special, Something Sacred

Imladris, Third Age 2032

Glorfindel knelt on the cold flagstone, his knees slightly parted and his palms resting on his thighs. The Elda's back was straight and his eyes were cast to the floor before him, the collar hung heavily about his neck. He sat beside the large, high-backed chair where Erestor was seated. Though he did not look up, he knew Erestor watched him; the dark eyes would be heavy-lidded, the Noldo's thick lashes hiding the inky blackness of his lover's gaze.

"Serve."

The one word, spoken in a firm, low voice, sparked Glorfindel into action. He pivoted sharply on his knees so that he faced Erestor, but he kept his eyes lowered; he then slowly, but gracefully, stood. Glorfindel took two steps back from Erestor and turned again. He now raised his eyes to the large cherry sideboard against the wall. Knowing Erestor's eyes followed his every move, Glorfindel walked to the sideboard and retrieved a wine glass.

He inspected the glass in the low light. His eyes had been trained by Erestor to look for the nicks or imperfections in the glass; he turned the clear glass around and around several times before taking the rim of the glass and pressing it to the soft flesh of his inner thigh. Under Erestor's smoldering gaze, he drew the glass up along his skin, turning the glass as he did.

The practice displayed the devotion of the submissive for his master since a single imperfection could draw blood. By the time the glass reached his groin, Glorfindel's shaft was erect and his face was flushed. The simple act of performing for Erestor aroused Glorfindel; his heart beat for the Noldo and the submission he offered Erestor was complete. He placed the glass on the sideboard and turned to the wine rack, choosing one of Erestor's favorite vintages for the evening. Glorfindel also took down a small glass, simple in design. After uncorking the bottle, he poured but a splash into the smaller glass.

Under Erestor's ever-present gaze, he sipped the wine, assuring it had not soured in the bottle. Glorfindel swirled the liquid in his mouth, savoring the warm, spicy flavor before he poured the wine into Erestor's glass. He recorked the bottle, put it back into the rack, and placed the glass on a pewter platter. The Elda returned to Erestor, bending down slightly and offering the glass.

Erestor took the glass, and Glorfindel watched with heated eyes as the Noldo sipped the wine. He had to restrain his desire to lean forward and swipe his tongue across Erestor's bottom lip where a drop of the red liquid rested, until Erestor ran his pink tongue along his lip to lap up the wayward drop.

Glorfindel's arousal throbbed.

Erestor nodded his approval and Glorfindel quickly returned the tray to the sideboard. He quickly, but elegantly, returned to his kneeling position beside Erestor; he waited with learned patience for Erestor's instructions. Tonight they had followed a different pattern, and Glorfindel was eager to find out what new experience Erestor had planned for him.

When Glorfindel had come into their room this evening, Erestor had been sitting the high-backed chair, staring into the hearth. The dark eyes then swept the room and landed on the Elda. He had been instructed to strip, plait his hair and kneel.

He complied immediately, presenting his long throat to Erestor to collar.

They had remained in that position, silent and still, until Erestor had asked for the serve. Now, silence again. Glorfindel could tell his lover was brooding over something; Erestor had been moody since his return from Lórien. They never spoke of his journey to the Golden Wood, but Glorfindel was certain something had happened to the Noldo during his month in Celeborn's realm.

He was afraid to ask, though. And Erestor was not confessing, so they continued as if Erestor had never left Imladris.

"Position Seventeen."

Glorfindel, without thought, shifted his position to reflect the wishes of Erestor. He moved back so that his knees were even with the back of Erestor's chair and he leaned forward, placing his palms flat on the floor. Glorfindel let his head fall forward, so that he had a view of his length, a bead of moisture pooled in the slit. His back was perfectly straight and he was as still as a piece of furniture.

Which was exactly what he was. Glorfindel felt the cool base of the wine glass press against the center of his back. He was Erestor's side table until the Elf told him otherwise.

"I will teach you a new position this night, Glorfindel," Erestor said in the smooth, liquid tones that caused Glorfindel to tremble. "I have always admired your line; strong, straight lines of a warrior. You are beautiful and I wish to display you for my enjoyment. Artistically speaking."

Glorfindel felt his stomach flutter at Erestor's words. His lover had not taught him a new position in weeks, and Glorfindel was excited at the prospect of being able to prove his dedication to their lessons.

Erestor removed the glass from Glorfindel's back and the Elda heard the Noldo stand. "Position One," was the instruction that finally came.

Glorfindel gave a quick, "Yes, Sir," before he stood up, his back as straight as it had been while in Position Seventeen, and his palms were flat against the back of his neck with his fingers laced together.

"I am going to show you Position Twenty-One." When Erestor's cool hands touched Glorfindel's heated skin, the blond had to forcefully swallow a groan. He was quickly moved into position; his upper body was tilted slightly to his right, and his arms were extended above his head, each bowed at the elbow and his fingers barely meeting. "Keep your legs together; yes, like that," Erestor praised, and Glorfindel's eyes fell shut as his lover's hand cupped his buttocks tenderly. "You are beautiful; tall, slender, and perfect. Remain in that position."

The position was the most difficult Glorfindel had been ordered into, and he worried he would not be able to maintain the pose for long. He prayed silently to the Valar that he could please his lover. What he was not prepared for was the knock at their chamber door. Glorfindel shifted as if to let the position fall, but a stern glance from Erestor stopped him.

"Do *not* move."

Glorfindel watched with wide, frightened eyes as Erestor let their Lord into the room. Elrond glanced to the large chair where Glorfindel was posed beside before turning his attention to his Councilor.

"Welcome, Elrond," Erestor said, leading Elrond to where Glorfindel stood.

Elrond nodded, his stormy eyes roving over Glorfindel's exposed frame. The Elda felt his cheeks flush scarlet and he could swear there were tears in his eyes. How dare Erestor do this to him! The safe word was poised on the tip of his tongue, but when he raised his eyes to Erestor's, it died there. His lover's eyes sparkled with the challenge, as if daring Glorfindel to speak the word. Fine, if Erestor wanted this, then he would play along. When Elrond left and the scene was over, he and Erestor would have a talk. This was crossing the line.

But, a voice in the back of his head said, when the line is crossed, the safe word should be spoken. He refused to use that word, so had a line truly been crossed? His reverie was broken when Elrond began to speak.

"It is lovely," the Elf-lord said. "So much more than I thought."

Glorfindel bristled at being referred to as 'it', but remained silent. Erestor's hand trained lightly from Glorfindel's throat to his navel, the amused gaze never leaving the Elda's face. "Aye, it is." Erestor moved out of Glorfindel's sight, but he felt the plait holding his hair back come unwound. "The most beautiful golden silk; you must touch it." Erestor asking Elrond to touch him!

A long sigh. "Soft like silk, aye. Celebrían's is more like heavy satin." Elrond ran the tip of his finger over Glorfindel's cheekbone. "You have quite a prize here, melethron vrûn." Elrond wetted his lips and smiled slightly at the frozen Elf. (old lover)

"Hannon chen," Erestor responded before he sat in the chair beside Glorfindel. "Will you join me, my Lord?" he asked, indicating for Elrond to take the chair opposite him.

"I would be honored." From the corner of Glorfindel's eye, he saw his Lord settle into the chair and begin to speak with Erestor about the day's events.

As the hours wore on, Glorfindel's body started to protest at the position it was forced to maintain. He was certain his back would ache when morning came. Against his will, his body sagged slightly, his posture not as perfect and straight as it had been most of the night. Quick as lightning, Erestor swung a crop -- where the Noldo had hidden it, Glorfindel was not sure -- out, striking Glorfindel sharply on his thigh. The Elda immediately returned to the stiff position, his eyes blazing with humiliation as the two lords continued on as if nothing had happened.

Ithil was high in the night sky when Elrond bade Erestor a goodnight and exited the room. Erestor walked calmly to the twisted Elf, his face as placid as a pond. Glorfindel felt the anger well in him; his arousal had long since abated. He was simply fuming now, having spent most of the evening with his thoughts. Erestor carried Glorfindel's night robe in one hand as he circled the blond.

"You did very well, except for that momentary lapse. He was impressed. Elrond did not think you would be able to hold the position as long as you did. I am very proud of your stamina." Cool fingers, Erestor's fingers were always cool, Glorfindel thought, danced over the collar and then released the clasp. Erestor offered him the robe as he removed the collar. The Elda took the robe and slipped into the silk. The session was over; Erestor walked into the playroom to return the collar to its hook and then came back into their bedroom.

Glorfindel turned blazing sapphire eyes on the Noldo. "I cannot believe you invited Elrond in while I was posed like that!" His voice was tight; he had been humiliated in front of his employer and friend.

Erestor sat back in his chair with a new glass of wine, crossed his legs and looked up at Glorfindel with that same mild _expression Glorfindel had come to loath. "That was the point of the session, Glorfindel. I asked him to come tonight; he knew what to expect when he walked in here." Unruffled, liquid tones made Glorfindel feel talked down to. He was not stupid and his anger flared bright.

"He *knew*? Erestor, you speak of our bedplay with our Lord? Did you not think of how this would make me feel?" Glorfindel glared down at Erestor, his jaw set and his eyes glittering with his discontentment.

"How you would feel?" Erestor stood up slowly, putting his wine aside. "Glorfindel, you wanted the lessons; *you* asked me to teach you. This is nothing shocking to Elrond. In fact, I went through much the same lesson when I was Elrond's. He brought Celeborn in one night while I was posed for him and the two of them did much the same thing I just did with Elrond. No warning, no discussion, it just *was*."

Glorfindel stared at Erestor in shock. "Elrond's?"

A smile tugged at Erestor's lips. "Aye, Elrond's. Did you think I simply *knew* what I know? No. Elrond taught me. I was his for almost five centuries. He taught me most of what I know. Seeing you posed for me was nothing short of what he expected." Erestor's eyes narrowed for a moment and Glorfindel could sense the annoyance his lover felt at being questioned by him. "If it was so terrible, Glorfindel, there was a word you could have spoken that would have stopped the entire session. You did not speak it, so do not be angry with me for proceeding with the lesson as planned."

The protest Glorfindel was about to make died on his lips at Erestor's words. He stared at Erestor in pure astonishment. Did his lover not see how upset the session had made him? Did Erestor simply not care about his well-being, his desires any longer? When had the rules of their relationship changed, and why had Glorfindel not seen it? Had Erestor put him in this position to try and force him to call an end to their game?

And how could he end it in front of Elrond? Glorfindel's pride would never allow for such an admission of weakness as that would have been! No, he endured the session because he could not have used the safe word. Didn't he?

He hadn't used the safe word, so could he claim that the session was completely out of line? Glorfindel felt the anger in him dying a slow death. How could he blame Erestor for his own pride? After all, Elrond had only touched his cheek, only looked at his nude form. Was that so terrible? Was he ashamed of what he allowed Erestor to do? Was he ashamed of his own body? Of his submission?

Erestor would never truly have him do something he did not think Glorfindel capable of weathering, so was it really so bad? He trusted Erestor... didn't he?

Glorfindel quickly pushed the thought aside, and pulled himself from his reverie. He turned his hooded eyes to Erestor again. "Fine. Lesson is over and learned. Do not invite someone into a session of ours without my leave, Erestor."

Erestor nodded. "Very well. I am sorry I took your consent for granted," the Noldo offered, though Glorfindel did not think the apology sincere.

Yes, the relationship balance had been tipped at some point and Glorfindel was no longer certain how. "Thank you," he said instead, pushing his misgivings down.

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Erestor reached out to cup Glorfindel's cheek. "I am sorry, melethen," he said softly, and Glorfindel felt all his anger drain away. He smiled at his lover and leaned into the soft caress. "Do you want to retire now?" Erestor asked, kissing Glorfindel's lips tenderly.

"Aye. It is late and I have patrol in the morning." Glorfindel followed Erestor to their large bed, a slight smile on his lips as he stripped out of his robe. He watched Erestor remove his robes, undershirt, boots and breeches before the Noldo joined him in their bed. Erestor was nude. Glorfindel knew this meant Erestor desired to make love, though it was a silent request.

Erestor took him into his arms, kissing his slowly and deeply. When the dark Elf pulled back, Glorfindel was lost; he was hard and needy and ready to receive his lover.

In Erestor embrace, Glorfindel knew nothing beyond the love and desire for the Noldo.

TBC...